Dennis Mersereau

Dr. Greg Forbes announced on his Facebook page this morning that he was recently diagnosed with colon cancer and will undergo surgery tomorrow afternoon to remove the growth. The discovery was made during a routine blood test and confirmed with a colonoscopy. He expects to make a full recovery.

Below is the full announcement regarding Dr. Forbes' impending absence from The Weather Channel issued by its president David Clark:

As some of you know, Dr. Greg Forbes will be off our air for a few weeks beginning tomorrow. During a routine annual physical, Greg was diagnosed with colon cancer, and he will have surgery this week. Doctors believe that the cancer was discovered early, and they are very positive about his prognosis.

Dr. Forbes expects to be off the air for several weeks while he recuperates. In the meantime, thanks in part to his tutelage, we have a well-trained team both behind-the-scenes and in front of the camera. Carl Parker, Dr. Greg Postel, Jim Cantore and Mike Bettes will continue to provide viewers with the expert insights and severe weather coverage they have come to depend on and expect. We will continue to use Dr. Forbes' TORCON index, and will not be surprised when he starts sharing his severe weather insights with the team before anyone sees him back on air or in the office.

Dr. Forbes commitment to our audience in times of severe weather has always been remarkable, but witnessing him go full bore during the storms these past few days, knowing what he has been dealing with, is something I, for one, will tell my grandkids about. We are grateful for him and look forward to his full recovery and welcoming him back very soon.

I know how much all of us care for StormMaster G, and many of you will want to help. Look for an email in the next few days about that. Please join me in wishing Greg a speedy recovery and in keeping him in your thoughts and prayers.